Collector



Oct. 31, 1944. w, FRANK 2,361,536

COLLECTOR Filed July 21, 1943 INVENTOR.

Patentcdbctfil, 1944 "U ITED STATE William 11. Frank, neimie'mtn,

Bulldog Electric Products Company, Detroit Mich a corporation of WestVirginia 5. PATENT. OFFICE @5323;

assignor i0 Application July 21, 194$,Serlal No. 495,590 v 2 Claims.(01. 191-45) 1 This application relates to improvements in collectorsuseful with electrical distribution-systems.

A prior Patent No. 2,170,296 of August 22, 1939, shows a collectorhaving a T shaped-roller carriage upon which is mounted and supported acollector head. The present application relates I particularly toimprovements in the head per se, and, except insofar as the carriageforms part of the combination shown herein, and considered as parthereof, the carriage per se forms no part of the presentinvention.

For an understanding of the details of con-- .struction of the collectorhere shown, reference The carriage of the collector hereshown is the onedisclosed in Patent No. 2,170,296. It will not therefore be specificallydescribed. Sufllce it to say that it comprises an elongated sheet metalplate 25 bent in the form of a double-walled T, to provide a verticaland a horizontal portion. The vertical portion has load hangers 2t.Journaled in the horizontal portionare side thrust rollers 21 andsupport rollers 30.

The head shown herein includes an elongated support is in the form of atube of insulation, of

square cross section, which may befastenedto the carriage by suitablefastening means, such as the screws 50. The bottom wall of thehead orsupport 49 is provided with one or more openings ii through whichinsulated conductors '52 which pass through the carriage, may enter thesupport so that their terminals 53 may be fastened to suitable contactposts 54, which are in the form of rods of insulation slidably disposedin alined holes 55 of opposite walls of thesupport. Transverse passages56 in these posts receive insulated (unstripped) terminals of theconductors.

The exposed portions of the posts have axial bores til threaded toreceive .metal screws 6|, whose pointed ends 62 pierce the insulationof. the conductor terminals and bind these terminals firmly in place inthe posts, and at the same time provide a conducting path from theseterminals to the exposed and enlarged heads 63 on ends of these screws.Coil springs 64 around the exposed portions of the posts engage theenlarged heads of the screws to bias the posts outwardly against therails of the electrical distribution system.

side the support can find their way to the contact The terminals Itlimit the'posts againstexcessive outward movement.

Each post is mounted in alined guideor hearing, hole." of opposite wallsof the support and thus is prevented from cocking as the collector movesalong the rails.

The simplicity of the arrangement herein disclosed is manifest, andthisforms one of the desirable characteristics of the head herein disclosed.I

Itwlll also be observed that the use'of-criticai war materials, such asrubber, and metal, has been reducedtoan absolute minimum.

The support is rigid, comprising a hollow tube the contact posts thoughresiliently mounted with respect to the support and the post holes,nevertheless do not expose the interior of thesupport during theirmovement, to any substantial extent, the post holes remaining sealed atall times. This is of importance in that disturbances,.due to looseterminals or load conductors, is minimized,

.for these terminals are always completely enclosed in the. support.

The support is shown as open ended. -If desired, however, end covers maybe applied to the support; however, because of the distance between theends of the support and the contact posts, it is not likely thatdisturbances from outposts or the conductor: terminals inside thesupport.

Now having described the head hereof, reference should be had to theclaims which follow for the determination of the protection soughtherein.

I claim: a 1. A contact post arrangement comprising a supporting wallhaving an opening, a contact post slidably disposed in said opening,with ends on opposite sides of the wall, the posthaving a transversepassage behind the wall receiving a terminal of a conductor behind thewall, the post in front of the wall having a threaded end boretransverse to said passage, a pointed and headed binding screw ofconducting material threaded into the bore with itshead exposed in frontof the wall and with its point engaging a conductor terminal in thepassage to bind it in place in the post, and to provide a conductingpath from the terminal to the exposed screw head, the latter forming anexposed contactor for the conductor terminal, the screw headbeing largerthan the contact post, and a coil spring in front of the wall aroundthepost, and abutting the wall and the screw head, for biasing it andthe post from the wall, the terminal limiting the post against excessivemovement caused by the spring.

2. A contact post arrangement comprising a supporting wall havinganiopening, a contact post slidabiy disposed in said opening, with endson opposite. sides of the wall, the post having a transverse passagebehind the wall receiving a terminal of a conductor behind the wall, thepost in front of the wall having a threaded end bore transverse to saidpassage,- a pointed and headed binding screw of conducting materialthreaded into the bore with its head exposed in front or the wall andwith its point ensuring a conducin: for the post. a

wall around the post, and abutting the wall and the screw head, forbiasing it and the postirom the wall. the terminal limiting the postagainst excessive movement caused by the spring, and means behind thewall providing a guide or bear- WILUIAMH. FRANK.

